I. Introduction
A. Illustration
1. Going into the Christmas-buying season of 2013, it was estimated that over $1 billion would go unredeemed, and there are always excuses: there’s a 5-year redemption limit (some businesses issuing these cards won’t even be solvent that long), which gives the recipient an idea of convenience. This makes forgetting the expiration or losing the card more likely in that time. This doesn’t even count the cards that are “re-gifted.”
2. We treasure, take care of, and use only the things we value. In Jesus’ discussion here, he talks about the value of sowing
B. Context: This chapter marks a turning point in Jesus’ ministry
1. He begins teaching exclusively in parables, which is understandable only by those committed to the kingdom
2. He embraces Gentiles, no longer limiting His ministry to the house of Israel
3. These agricultural parables held profound meaning for an agrarian people who were working on some really tough land to cultivate
II. Parable of the Sower:
A. Purpose: the Sowing of the Word of God
B. Explanation
1. The seed here is God’s Word, the sower is the evangelist
2. Seeds falling “along the path” will not find any fertile soil, and so would be exposed to “the birds.” This is the devil who comes to erase any truth in the unbeliever’s mind--he may retain the words, but their effect will be nullified: no salvation.
3. Seeds that fall on “rocky ground” or “shallow soil” will take quick root in an interested person who will “receive it with joy,” but for lack of commitment to the truth, quickly falls away under any kind of persecution: no salvation.
4. Seeds that fall “among thorns” are people who are too easily pulled away from the cares and trappings of the world, revealing their commitment as superficial and phony: no salvation.
5. Seeds that fall on “good soil” will always produce fruit, even if the yield is variable
III. Parable of the Weeds
A. Purpose: the Sowing of the Children of God–”Whenever Christ ‘plants’ true believers to bear fruit for His glory, Satan plants false Christians who oppose the work and hinder the harvest. Christians are seeds, and the kingdom of heaven is a mixture of the true seed (Christians) and the counterfeit (children of the devil)” (Weirsbe, 54)
B. Explanation
1. Symbols
a. First, the kingdom of heaven is presented here in “mystery” or “secret” form (v.11)--it is meant to be understood only by those who have received God’s grace-gift of discernment; it is the world around us, but with the presence and influence of the church (or “Christendom”)--so, not the church, per se
b. The “man” is Jesus, and his “workers” are angels
c. The “field” is the world, and the “seed” is believers (“children of the kingdom”) left in this world who have authentically responded to God’s Word (see v.23)
d. The “enemy” is Satan, and the “weeds” are sinners (“children of the devil”)
e. The “harvest” is the end of the age
2. Two “Seeds” in the Bible
a. First mentioned in Gen. 3:15; God’s seed (Christ) and the serpent’s seed (Satan), with constant enmity between the two
b. Cain and Abel--John 3:12 states that Cain was “of that wicked one,” and his murder of his brother officially began the enmity between the two seeds
c. The Pharisees and Jesus--the Pharisees opposed John the Baptist (Matt. 3:7) and did nothing when Herod had him killed, they opposed Christ, and had Him crucified
d. Apostle Paul--Acts 13:10 says Satan’s seed opposed Paul in his first missionary work and throughout. He did this (as he does now) with false gospel (Gal. 1:6-9), false ministers (2 Cor. 11:13-26), false righteousness (Rom. 10:1-3) and false brethren (2 Cor. 11:26)
e. The Antichrist--this enmity will culminate in a false Christ (2 Thess. 2). This “son of perdition” will oppose the Son of God, but in the end all satanic forces will be defeated
3. Lessons to be Learned
a. Satan hinders God work in several ways:
1) He snatches God’s word from hearts, smothers the seed with worldliness, or scorches the young sprouts with persecution
3) If he cannot overcome the Word, he plants false Christians wherever the Lord plants true believers (“Many people are going to hell, not because of gross overt sins, but because they have a ‘false righteousness’ apart from faith in Jesus Christ” [Weirsbe, 55])
4) He sits on the branches of “Christendom” (the “kingdom of heaven”) and influences things
5) He plants false doctrines and deceives people
b. Satan’s chief method of opposing God is through imitation: an imitation gospel, imitation churches, and an imitation Christ
c. The task for believers is not to “clean up” the world, though we should do all we can to better society, and we should exercise discipline within the local church. The church is NOT the kingdom of heaven. But we do NOT govern the world.
d. For now, we are to govern ourselves–God commands us to judge sin and discipline Christians who hinder the growth of the church by godless living (1 Cor. 5, Matt. 18:15-18)
e. We are to plant the Word in hearts and let God “plant” us in places where we can bear fruit for His glory
f. The “weeds” will be bound together at the end of the age, or “harvest.”
1) In these last days, we already see many organizations and even nations uniting, or “binding,” for one reason or another
a) World church organizations, world banks, world labor movements, world trade organizations, etc.
b) Denominations, other organizations merging for mutual protection
2) Some of these efforts may be profitable, but we as believers must be vigilant to resist attachment with bundles bound for the burning
IV. Conclusion
A. While we sleep, Satan works. A sleeping church is an opportunity for Satan to plant false Christians. It is important that we stay awake!
1. "Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Rom. 13:11-14)
B. We must “test the spirits” to detect when Satan is at work (1 John 4:1-6). This is not judging (Matt. 7:1-5), but rather exercising our spiritual senses to see if people really belong to Christ (Heb. 5:14)
1. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than (K)he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:1-6)
2. “‘Judge not, that you be not judged. 2For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when there is the log in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.’” (Matt. 7:1-5)
3. “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb. 5:14)
C. We must realize our purpose here on earth is to scatter the seed of God’s Word and live righteously and godly in this present age
